Birthday hijack horror

By Siya

A birthday celebration took a turn for the worst when a woman was hijacked by four men while her boyfriend was taking her out to celebrate.

The 29-year-old was still in shock as she described her ordeal that took place on September 5.

“We were driving on Koppie Road when we saw blue lights behind us. Because my boyfriend had been speaking on his cell phone, he did not hesitate to pull over as he knew he was in the wrong,” said the woman who wished to remain anonymous.

What followed was an incident that happened so fast that it almost seemed surreal. According to the woman her boyfriend was first to step out of his Range Rover and she followed as the men, dressed as police officers, had asked to search the vehicle.

“He went over to their vehicle. I stayed behind waiting outside the car. I suddenly had a funny feeling and got back into the car and locked the door,” she said.

She was joined by two men who were not dressed in uniform but had reflective vests on, which gave the impression they were also officials.

“One got into the driver’s seat while the other got into the back of the car and pointed a gun at my neck. I could feel his hands on my neck trying to take off my necklace. I knew this could go either way,” she said.

They drove off with her in the Range Rover while her boyfriend was taken in the vehicle that had pulled them over. They drove for a short while when she noticed her boyfriend’s son’s car drive in their direction. It was as if a lifeline had been thrown her way.

“I realised this was an opportunity that I’d been given to try and save us. I lost it and tried everything to get his attention. I kicked the steering wheel and tried to put the emergency lights on but the guy driving stopped me before I could get the car to do anything that would get us noticed,” she continued.

Fortunately her window was open and she screamed his name. That was when she heard her boyfriend’s son’s car screech to a halt.

“Luckily there was a car in front of us and the car stopped. I got out and ran towards my boyfriend’s son and told him what had happened. They drove off and we followed them to the highway.

“We tried to keep up with the car but we lost them. I had never seen my boyfriend’s son like this. He would drive and stop to pray but he was determined to find his father.

“When I spoke to my boyfriend later he said the guys in the vehicle he was in were doing about 220km when we were chasing them. He kept saying, you’re going to kill us, there’s no need to speed, the car won’t catch up with us,” she added.

Their nightmare drive eventually led them to Tembisa where they sought out the help of the community to look for the hijacked 4×4 as well as the “police vehicle” her boyfriend was in.

“They dropped him off at a guesthouse in Tembisa where he called his son and we were able to pick him up there. The car was recovered by the tracking company.

“This was terrible to go through and I’d like to warn motorists to be careful. People need to know that if they are stopped by an official vehicle but are not certain, they should rather contact the police and drive to the nearest police station,” she said.